Automobile wheel lock



Dec. 18 1923;

' lH. BARNETT AUTOMOBLE WHEEL LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet l VFiled Nov. l5,

Dec. 18', 1923.

Y 1,477,929 H. BARNETT 'AUTOMOBILE WHEEL LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. l5 1922 HARRY BAnZNETT, or HELE-Nn, MONTANA.

AUTOMOBILE VHEEL LOCK.

Application filed November To all y1li/"wm t may concern:

Re it 1known that l, HARRY BARNn'rr, a citizen of the United States, residing at lelena, in the county of Lewis and Clark and' State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful lmprove-ments in Automobile lei/*heel Locks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to devices for locking automobiles to prevent the theft or unauthorized use of a locking device of the automobile, and the general object of the invention is to provide this character which is p suihciently difhcult vof removal as to prevent theft or removal of the car under ordinary circumstances.

further object is to provide a device of this kind which includes-jaws adapted to clasp the wheel at the rini thereof and which "is preferably mounted upon the running board of the machine beneath the same, and is adapted to be swung from a concealed, retracted position to a projected position into engagement with the wheel rim,

it is Vattached'to the under side of the run- `still further object is to provide a lockino deviceV of this character which, because ning board, is not unsightly and which, when in a locking position, presents a neat appearance and which, Vnot in use, will be complete-ly when swung back and out of sight.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which may be vreadily adjusted to automobiles of different sizes and makes and which, by a modification, may be used with vdisk wheels as well as spoked wheels.

Still another object is Vto provide means attached beneath the running board of the machinewhereby the latch'may be supported in its inoperative position.

Other objects will appear in the course of.

the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary sideelevation or" an automobile locking device applied to showing my improved the running board thereof and engaged with a front wheel thereof Figure 2 is a transverse section of the i running board showing the means for supporting the locking the section being ta ure 1;

' Figure is a top device when not in use ken on line 2-2 of Figplan View of the locking passage of a.

15, 1922. Serial No. 601,113,

mechanism, the tire and rim being shown in section;

Figure L1 Figure 3 figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of aV modification of the locking mechanism, the tire and disk wheel being shown in section;

VFigure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5 Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that my locking device comprises a'supporting bar 10, which bar is preferably square in cross section and of any desired length, and is angularly bent at one end, as at 11, this end being cleft or bifurcated. The bar is provided with a plurality of openings 12 through which rivets, bolt or other attaching devices may pass and engage the running board 18 of the car.

Pivoted within the angularly bent cleft portion 11 of the supporting bar 10 is a longitudinally slotted section 14 having a length under `ordinary circumstances of nearly 7, this bar being longitudinally slotted for the greater portion of its length,

is a section on the line 4-#11 of as at 15, and provided on each edge of the i bar and on both faces thereof with the outwardly projecting flanges 16. One end of the bar has an opening 17 by which the bar 14 is pivoted to the angular end 11 of bar 10. Coacting with this member 14 is a inember 18 which is longitudinally slotted, as at 19, so as to embrace the bar 14 and have sliding engagement between the flanges 16. This bar is perforated at one end for the rivet 2O which passes through the slot 15. Thus this member 18 is slidably mounted upon the member 14C and the members 18 and 14: together turn upon a pivot connecting the member 14 to the angular end 11 of the supporting bar 10.

The outer end of the section 18 is bifurcated, as at 21, and coacting with this end of the member 18 is a knuckle 22 having tangs 23, one of which is insertible within the slot 21 and is -ivoted thereto by means of Vthe rivet 24. oacting with the other tang 23 of member 22 is a section 25 which is bifurcated to receive the tang 23 and which is pivoted thereto by the rivet 26. The outer end of this member 25 is bifurcated, as at 27, and formed with a countersunkopening for the passage of a rivet 28.

Pivotally connected to the section 25 by the rivet 28 is the base portion of a pair of lill' jaws adapted to grasp the tire and rim of the wheel. In Figure'3, Ihave illustrated this base portion as consisting of a shank 29 insertible within the cleft y27 and pivoted to the member 25 by means of the rivet 28, this shank having the lateral curvedprolongations 3G having knuckles at their extremities. Pivoted to these knuckles by means of countersunk rivets are the opposed jaws 3l and 32. Each of these jaws at itsouter end.

is angularly bent, as at 33, to fit therim of the wheel, while the body of the jaws and portions 3l it over the tire and then the jaws are extended in parallel relation, as at 34 and 35, these lips 34 and 35 fitting against each other and one of the lips, as for instance the lip 34 being formed with lateral flanges 35s` which embrace the Llip 35 and close the joint between the lips so that it makes it impossible to insert a tool between the two lips to force them apart. Preferably, a flange 36 will be formed upon the jaw 32 which extends out beneath the fiange or lip 35 and a lock casing 37'will be disposed between theflange or lip. 36 and the flange or lip 34 will be provided with ahasp 38 insertible into the lock casingand `engaged by a suitable bolt therein. Preferably a Yale lock or a lock of similar character will be used, and inasmuch as locks of this character are old and well known, l haie not attempted to illus: trate the interior construction ottheilock but only the exterior view thereof, it being understood that Vthe bolt of this lock will en? gage thehasp 38. Y l

All of these parts will preferably be `made of manganese steel andthe parts will be riveted to each other by rivets whose heads are countersimk in the parts so as to make it practically impossible to disjoint the parts without a considerable amount of work. It will be seen that the several sections are pivoted to each other so that the parts may be folded back beneath the running board of the automobile or swung out in position for the jawsto engage the will swing upon the rivet connect-ing the section l0 with the section 14 and also upon the knuckle 22. The shank 29 is pivoted to the section 251so that it swings at right angles to the plane of rotation of the section 25 ron theknuckle 22.

For the purpose of holding the wheel lock securely beneath the ruiming board of the machine, I provide the construction illustrated 1n detail in Figure 2, which comprises a longitudinally extending metal strip 39 bent upward adjacent one end, as at 40,V and then longitudinally extended, as at 4l, Riveted to theV upper face of this strip isa second metallic strip 42, the middle portion of which is upwardlybent, as at 44, `the same-height-.as the angular bend 40. The middle of this strip is formed with an apwheeh- Thus the parts" less or disk wheel.

erture45. `whereby it may be attached by a bolt, rivet or other-like' fasteningdevice to the running board of the automobile.

Disposed below thestrip 39 and extending parallel thereto is aimet-al strip 46 angularly bent, as a.t, 47, so as to extend upward and lie flat against the portionV 40 of the strip 39 and themagaiirangularly bent longitudinally to lie against the portion 41, as at 48. This part 48 and thepart 4lV are perforated for the passage of bolts 49 holding these two parts together. Disposed between one end of the strip 39 and vone end of the strip 42 remote from the bend 47 is one leaf 50 of ayhinge, the other leaf 5l of this hinge normally depending so as to intersectthe strip 46, this leafl having an aperture 52. The extremity of the strip 46 issplit or otherfr wise` formed to provide two tongues 53 whose resilencytends to spread them apart from each other. When' these tongues are compressed, however, bythe lingers they maybe inserted 4through the aperture 52 and willl then expand, lthus holdingthe haspor leaf 5 1 in itsdepending position and closing the end of the space between. the,strips 39 and 46. By compressing.thesetongues 53, the spring lea-f 5l may be Shiftedand raised so as to open the space between .the strips 39 and 46. The part 46 isinade 01".;1'e-` silient material, andpreferably .springs 154 will be disposed., upon the inner faces of the strips 39 may be swung. in between Athestrips 3 9 46 andwill beheld firmly engaged therein when the .strip 46 has itsfreeend ,com- 1 pressed toward the leaf 50. 4 and inserted through the .opening 5 2 ofthe leaf5 1. Thisdevice will hold thelocking mechas nism entirely concealed beneath the running board i and the yresiliency'of the' springs'54 and the factthat they clasp the lockingdevice resiliently will'preventany rattling of theparts.- ..1 Y

I have heretofore describeda rim andtre; embracing member formed to iit aspoked wheel suchf as ordinarily founden automobiles, but it obviousI that the embracing mem;- ber may be modified so as to engage with and lock upon the rimand tirfeof a spoke- In this case,E as illusthe jaws 31a and-32a overlapeach other and which are pivotally engagedwith ashank 29a. A lock casing 55 is mounted upon the shank 29fand has a bolt adapted to engage the knuckles 50, the knuckles being slotted.

trated ,inV Figure 5, have knuckles which at 57 forengagement by this bolt 58 so that` projected into the .slot V57 by a key inserted into the key slotl 59',

when the bolt 58 is miu attachment of the member on the carV and that the joint between the shank 28 and the member 25 permits the jaws to be turned back away from the wheel or to be disposed at an angle to the horizontal if desired. After the jaws have been opened, the

Vjaws and the parts 19, 22 and Q5 may be slid back upon the part 14 so as to entirely disengage the jaws from the tire and rim and then these parts 18, 22, 25 and 14 may be swung upon the pivot bolt connecting them to the angular portion 11 until the parts4 are disposed entirely beneath the running board and engaged with the holding device heretofore described.

This device is intended to be attached to the running board and used with the right front wheel or the left rear wheel. I have illustrated the device as being used in connection with the right front wheel. All parts of the lock will be of manganese steel, thus preventing the use of a saw or bolt cutters. All bolts will be rivet bolts with countersunk heads so as to offer no opportunity for the use of a cold chisel in cutting off bolt heads. The lock used to fasten the jaws in clamped position upon the rim and tire will be so designed that no weak part will be eX- posed. The supporting member 1() will be made oi various lengths, widths and thickT nesses, depending upon the make and character of the machine and the degree of strength required.

Inasmuch as this device is fastened to the running board it must be removed from the rim and tire before the car can be moved. lt is conveniently located on the car1 so that it can be swung into place for use and adjusted with a minimum effort and 4can like-. wise be quickly and easily disconnected and restored to its place under the running board. The slots 15 and 19 and the parts 14 and 18 permit the total length of the device to be shortened or lengthened to meet the postion'of the front wheel so that it can be locked together upon the front wheel whether the front wheels are parallel to the axis of the car or cramped. The pivotal connection between the several sections and the sliding engagement between the sections 1 4 and 18 give the entire device flexibility, which makes it particularly convenient to use.

In removing the lock from engagement with the wheel, that is from a position of use as illustrated in Figure v1, the lock holding the jaws 31 and 32 is released, both aws are opened, and the shank 29 then allowed to drop to a vertical position, turning on the pivot 2S. The entire working part of the device is then swung outward upon `the pivot 17 and when the device is clear` of the wheel the shank 29 is again raised to a horizontal position in line with the portions 14, 18, 22 and 25. he jaws are brfuighl, together and the device is swung on the pvot 17 to a position of rest under the ruiming board.

In shifting the device from a position of rest to a position of use, the entire device is swung outward upon the pivot 17, the shank 29 is dropped to a vertical position so as to clear the wheel until the jaws are in position underneath the wheel. jaws are, of course, openedand then shank and jaws are swung upward and the jaws brought into place around the wliee,

I claim:-

1. Means for locking automobile wheels comprising a supporting member adapted to be attached beneath the ruiming board of the machine, a. wheel rim and tire embracing member including pivoted jaws, and means for locking them clamped upon a tire and wheel rim, and a plurality of pivoted sections, one of said sections being pivoted to the supporting member and the section at the opposite end being pivoted to the jaws, two of said sectionsoverlapping each other and having sliding engagement with each other.

2. Means for locking an automobile wheel comprising a supporting member adapted to be attached beneath the ruiming boa-rd of the machine, a section pivoted thereto, a section having sliding engagement with the first named section, a knuckle pivoted to the end of said sliding section, a section pivoted t0 the outer 'end of the knuckle, all ot said members swinging in the same plane, a pair of jaws pivoted to theV last named section for movement in a plane at right angles to the plane of swinging movement of said sections, said jaws being formed to embrace a tire and wheel rim, and means Vfor locking the jaws.

3. An automobile wheel locking device comprising a shank and a pair of jaws pivoted thereto and adapted to engage around and grip a tire and wheel rim, means for locking said jaws in a gripping position, a supporting member adapted to be attached beneath the running board of an automobile, a plurality of sections pivoted to each other, the end sections being pivoted to the shank and to said supporting member respectively, two of said sections having overlapping sliding engagement and one of saidrsliding sections having flanges extending over the edges of the other sliding section.

4. In an automobile having a wheel and a running board, a supporting member attaehecl beneath the running board, a series of sections jointedL to eac-h other and to the supporting member, a pair of jaws pivoted to the outer ends of said sections and to each other, means -tor locking; said jaws closed around the wheel rim and tire, the pivoted sections permitting *the jaws to be turned back beneath the ruiming board, and means for holding the aws beneath the run ning board comprising a pair of members extending transversely of the running` board,1 one of said members being yielclably movable away from the other member. and a hasj) locking' said members in parallel relation and normally elosino the space between the members. j

5. In an automobile having a wheel and a runningboarcb a supporting` member attached beneath the running board, ,a series of sections jointed to each other and to the supporting member, a pair 'of jaws pivoted to the. outer endsoic said sections and to each other, meansv for lookingJ said jaws closed` around the wheel rim and tire, the pivotecl seetionspermitting the jaws to be turned back lbeneath the running board, means for lioltlingthel jaws beneath the running board eomprising pair of members extending transversely of the running board, one of said members being yielclably movable awa-y fromuthe other member, and a hasp locking said members in Vparallel relation and normally closing the space between the members, theresilient Vmember having` its extremity split to form a resilient tongue and the hasp having` an opening; through which said tongue may be in serted. j j

In testimony whereof I hereunto a'ix signature.

HARRY BARNETT. 

